Word counter for essays and personal statements
Count words and characters as you type, with the limits for the UCAS personal statement, the Common App essay, University of California answers, the IB Extended Essay and the TOK essay built in. It also shows reading time, how readable your writing is and the words you repeat most.
Paste or type anything to count it.
Words
37
Characters
208
171 without spaces
Sentences
3
2 paragraphs
Reading time
9 sec
12 sec aloud
Readability
Flesch reading ease 82: Very easy to read. Grade level 4.8.
Average sentence: 12.3 words. Longest: 22 words.
Words you repeat most
Your text stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere. Want feedback on a personal statement or extended essay? Two free classes with a specialist tutor.
Making every word count
Limits are there to make you choose. If you are over, cut whole sentences that repeat a point before trimming individual words: a long personal statement usually says the same thing two or three times.
Check the 'words you repeat most' list. Repeating your subject's name is fine, but if 'passion', 'interesting' or 'really' appear five times, swap them for specific examples.
The new UCAS personal statement
From 2026 entry, the UCAS personal statement is three questions instead of one essay: why you want to study the course, how your studies have prepared you, and what you have done outside education. The 4,000-character limit is shared across all three, with at least 350 characters for each answer.
- ✓ Give the most space to the question where you have the strongest evidence
- ✓ Don't repeat the same activity in two answers
- ✓ Paste into the UCAS Hub before the deadline to check its count matches
FAQs
How many characters is the UCAS personal statement?＋
Up to 4,000 characters in total, including spaces, across three questions. Each answer needs at least 350 characters. Choose 'UCAS personal statement' above to count each answer and the total.
How long is the Common App essay?＋
Between 250 and 650 words. Most strong essays use most of the 650 words.
What counts as a word?＋
Any run of letters or numbers. Hyphenated words (well-known) and contractions (don't) count as one word, which matches how most word processors count.
How is reading time worked out?＋
At 238 words a minute for silent reading and 183 for reading aloud, the averages found in a 2019 review of 190 reading studies. Reading aloud is useful for timing a speech or a presentation.
Is my essay saved or uploaded?＋
Your text is saved in this browser only, so it's still here if you close the tab. It is never uploaded or sent to us.
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